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This Is The “Perfect” Time To Go To Sleep, According To Research

We frequently report on the importance of sleep and know it is essential for our wellbeing, both physically and mentally. Now, a new study has told us that if we’re more exact when it comes to our sleeping patterns, this may result in the “perfect” night’s sleep.

And what must we do to get these enviable few hours of slumber? Prepare to go to bed at precisely 10:37pm., sans phone, iPad, laptop, television and all other electronic devices. Yes, we know it sounds alarmingly exact, but hear us out.

A recent study in the UK conducted by George Home polled 1,000 people on their sleeping habits and bedtime rituals during the winter months and found the ideal bedtime to be 10:37pm. Not 10:36pm or 10:38pm, mind you. 10:37pm on the dot. This sounds very doable, right? Unfortunately, the survey doesn’t tell us if we have to be in bed or sleeping at this point but the timings are interesting.

The researchers also found out other interesting tidbits about what equates to a near-perfect night of rest: you should be climbing into bed with two goose feather pillows beneath a 13.5 tog duvet, while wearing a pair of cotton PJs (onesie optional, we’re assuming). One in four also said they sleep in their dressing gowns to keep warm.

The experiment also found that people get less sleep in the winter months than they do in the summer; participants in the study slept an average of 40 minutes less per night during winter. In the end, the survey contended that you need the following for a perfect night of slumber:

• Cotton PJs
• Go to bed at 10.37pm
• Upgrade to a 13.5tog duvet
• Use a hot water bottle
• Use goose down pillows
• Throw on an extra blanket
• Wear some cosy slipper socks

It’s probably not worth getting too stressed about the specifics as you snuggle up in bed tonight, but could be worth trying if you’re wide awake and in need of extra shuteye.